I'm a UK based EP with a long career in wildlife documentary series for international cable and satellite channels. Now working freelance, but also concentrating on trying to make TV and film production sustainable.

So would be keen to hear from anyone who has experience and ideas on how to make documentaries without leaving too big a carbon footprint, and without using heaps of resources.

I live in Los Angeles, CA and have spent the last year doing short documentary style pieces with community organizations. My background is in both community-based research and grassroots media. I currently teach video workshops for high schoolers to learn media in Alhambra and Koreatown, and work as a freelance Assistant Editor.

I am just learning about the feature documentary process, and would love your advice on how to get started!

Whoa, Chahid's here as well. Anyway, one of these long, lonely nights in the exciting town of Ludwigsburg finally dragged me here. I am currently a student for cinematography, but very much feeling the pull towards documentary. We all know there are just so many more interesting stories to be told than what we see in fiction cinema, mostly.

I'm also a disciple of the great Burgan, and very happy to know him, not only for the beer-tasting part of it. After growing up in the remote north of Germany I spent nearly two years in Denmark at the European Film College, then moved to Munich to be an intern at ARRI Rental, and now I made it to film school. Besides the obvious interest for film I love listening to music, playing music, reading, writing, science, psychology, riddles, beer; and I can never concentrate on one thing at a time, thus always wanting to do everything myself. I'm sure I must get over that one day.

I (somewhat lazily, but wholeheartedly) second Chahid's statement: "documentaries are the next level of filmmaking , the elevated intellect if you want". Looking forward to reading your posts!

I spent the last two years of my life as a New Media producer for the Obama For America campaign. Traveled around the country shooting video of the President-Elect at rallies and town halls, events as well as interviewing supporters across the country.

I wasn't much of a documentarian before the campaign; now I'm consumed by it. Hoping to pick up some more tips and hear some stories from the good folks on here.

Welcome, Stefanie, Timm and Chris. Chris, fantastic job and much thanks for your work the past few years!!! You all can sign up as professional members and have access to all the discussion topics here ...

I spent all my life painting, either on canvas or doing large murals,or being involved in public art projects. Then following several working trips in Africa, I got hit by the documentary bug. An intensely satisfying form of expression....

Consumed by a project I have a true passion for, I have been working on a documentary video project for the past 4 years. I completed the Certificate program at Duke University in Documentary Filmmaking 2 years ago and all of this has been a life changing experience for me. My project has obtained fiscal sponsorship from the Southern Documentary Fund and has been fairly successful in fundraising, obtaining individual, corporate and foundation grants (though exceedingly arduous) Now in the post production stage, our project, Miss Nancy Minds Their Manners is scheduled for completion this year! visit www.missnancymindstheirmanners.com

I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and have been head of my own graphic and website design firm for more than 25 years.

Hi all,
I've been meaning to introduce myself for some time now. I met Doug Block long ago on a train from MYC to the Flaherty Film Seminar in Aurora New York. At that time I was working in Philadelphia as director of the Neighborhood Film/Video Project, a media arts center specializing in exhibition, community engagement, and eventually we also became the service organization for local independents. And we initiated the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema in 1992 I think it was. So I'm a programmer/exhibitor/festival person with some experience in funding from peer review panels, being on the board of a community foundation, and the board of the long defunct The Film Fund. I also subsequently got to co-program the Flaherty Seminar. Twice. In 1997 I came to San Francisco to help with the SF Asian American Film Festival and also worked at the Hamptons Film Festival. Now I'm director of programming at the San Francisco Film Society which produces the San Francisco International Film Festival and now so much more: year round exhibition, youth education, and since this summer, filmmaker services including classes, residencies, grants and fiscal sponsorship. I'm really pleased to be working again in an organization that supports filmmakers in so many ways. More on our two websites: sffs.org and sf360.org (a daily trade magazine about media art activities in the SF Bay Area). OK, that's some about me. See some of you in Sundance. Anyone going on to Rotterdam?
Linda Blackaby

Yep, Linda, we go pretty far back – that Flaherty Seminar was during year two of the making of my first film, well before I got funding for it. And at un-air conditioned Wells College in the midst of a horrific heat wave. An unforgettable experience.

Anyway, Linda is one of those longtime, unsung heros of the indie film world and it's great having you here with us at The D-Word. A very warm welcome to you.

I have been making, studying, and working on documentaries since about 2003, though I've been cloistered in grad-school world for the past 2.5 years... As I near the end of my MFA I'm looking beyond the walls at the big bad docu world out there, trying to gain an idea of what paths to take. I look forward to learning from others on this forum and adding to topics when I can contribute something of value.

I heard about D-Word when Doug Block visited one of my classes (Prof. Paul Stekler) back in 2006

For those of you who don't know me I'm a long time member and contributor to The D-Word, although I don't post so often in the Public Topics. That will be changing :)

I'm also a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, having passed through New York, London and Tehran on my way here. I'm all about building community, which is one of the reasons I love documentary work, and so I'm thrilled to be welcomed as a new co-host in my favorite community of all.

I'm currently working on a new project, The Department of Expansion with fellow D-Worder and uber-DP, Nick Higgins and his amazingly talented producer/director wife Kristina.

Finally, I've just joined the Board of Directors of the International Documentary Association, so I'm looking forward to creating stronger ties between this community and the IDA in the months to come.

Big thanks to Doug, Ben and John for inviting me to join them as a co-host, and welcome to all our newer members and enthusiasts!

Marj is a bundle of energy, a truly world citizen, a talented filmmaker, an inveterate networker, seems to have several projects on the go at any one time and still has oodles of karma and good humour to spare. We're delighted to have her join us as our Co-Host. Welcome, Marj!

Hello everyone! My name is Yung Chang. I made a film called Up The Yangtze. I'm a brand-new member here. The great Doug Block came to speak to us at the Canadian Film Center where I'm doing a residency. Thank you Doug for bringing me into this D-world. Also, Ben Kempas and I went searching for whales in Reykjavik in September but to no avail. Our tickets are good for a year. Next year right, Ben? I look forward to meeting, discussing and consuming.

welcome, Yung! great to have you in the D-Word community... absolutely loved UP THE YANGTZE and it totally deserves all the acclaim it has received. personally, i especially appreciate a fellow asian american filmmaker getting notice in a world often devoid of non-white docmakers.

So great that you made it to The D-Word, Yung. Hope you'll hang out here and post often. It was a privilege to meet you and talk to the group. The irony of being asked to share my insights and experiences with other filmmakers is that I probably learn a great deal more from the interaction than they do.

Be sure to let folks here know more about your current project, The Fruit Hunters, in the Works in Progress topic. It's a fascinating idea and I'm sure we can be helpful. Meanwhile, can't wait to see Up The Yangtze which I've heard only great things about.

Hey Yung, nice to see you here! I didn't know Ben was in Reykjavik at that time as well. Ben, I hope you got to experience Yung's mad DJ skillz. My wife and I went whale watching as well and didn't see a thing, but seeing as she was seasick, I'm not sure we'll do the freebie. :)

By the way, Yung is a true gentleman, helping my wife and I get a lift home from a far-flung screening (a three-hour silent epic completely in Icelandic, no less!)

His Excellency DALAI LAMA had seen my film in the eyes of FREE SPRIT FILM FESTIVAL 2008. you don't miss it.log on to-www.Glimz.netGo to documentary section, you can see the film :MAN,FREEDOM & GOD
38minute duration.

Hello everyone. I have a question for doc fans: Have you ever heard about a company named CINE TV BERLIN? I am looking for a documentary produced by them around 1984, "Saxons in Transylvania" or "Transylvania's Saxons". I'm trying to find this film for a while so every information is really important for me. Thank you in advance.

Hi all. I was referred here off another group, Doculink. I'm a director of photography who's been dabbling in docs for awhile now. I'm currently trying to figure out what to do with a travel show that I have just completed, www.iancampbelldp.com/NativeDestinations. I have 3 1/2 hr episodes ready to go but since my experience has been in production I have no connections with cable networks or any other types of distribution. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or help with getting some sort of rep or agent.
That was a long winded intro but thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting people here.

I am a documentary filmmaker AND the Executive Director of the Sidney Hillman Foundation which has been giving out prestigious journalism awards for 50 years. Broadcast is a (relatively) new category so I am trying to nourish it and hope that some of you fellow documentary filmmakers will submit. Criteria is your film must be about a social or economic justice issue and have been broadcast in 2008!

I'm a new member here in the D word and a new documentary filmmaker too. I mean really new! I'm finishing my masters degree in mass communication and my thesis project is a documentary on photography: My first child. I've made a living as a photographer and photography professor for the last few years which makes this new stage an extremely exciting one.

I am a cinematographer based in Los Angeles. However, I spent most of the last year in Cambodia, India, Iraq, Israel, Guatemala, etc. Although I work in narrative films as well, I absolutely love documentaries. I look forward to learning from everyone here as well as sharing my own knowledge. Cheers.

I'm a writer/producer who makes a living on corporate projects but lives for my passion for documenting offbeat subcultures.

After making a bunch of political/history docs for PBS and PBS affiliates, I recently got sucked into the world of traveling county fair daredevils. "Hell Drivers: America's Original Crash Test Dummies," features guys who set themselves on fire for $500 and jump garbage trucks off dirt ramps despite the guaranteed back problems.

After being in about a dozen low-key festivals, I'm getting phenomenal feedback from both monstertruck fanatics and the NPR crowd (very little overlap). Lately, I've been researching the sales agent world to aim for TV before playing the distribution game to NASCAR nation. But I think it's a little too wacky for PBS.

I'm an director/editor living and working in Santa Monica. I mostly get paid to edit crappy reality TV, but in between shows I like to help causes I care about grow awareness and gain support through media. Last spring, I went to the Thai/Burma border with some friends to lay the groundwork for a non-profit trying to bring hope to the people of Burma, and in the fall I traveled all over Africa to shoot a doc for a non-profit based in Nashville. I've done similar work in Sri Lanka, and I edited a short film about an AIDS orphan in Northern Uganda for the non-profit Invisible Children. Currently editing the Africa doc and cursing the sound guy (myself).